Uncommon Occurrences
by Increasing Paranoia
Summary: It was only two weeks ago that he learned supernatural beings existed and now he was the mate of a gay werewolf. How could his life possibly get any weirder?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here's a new story for you all. I promise to have the next chapter of House up shortly. It's already been shipped off to my beta. And let's all give her a round of applause for not murdering me yet!

* * *

Roxas glared at the red-head in front of him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and yet, part of him was finally understanding the weird happenings of the past two weeks. The red-head shifted on Roxas' tiny couch and the blond found himself examining the other man more closely. A shock of layered red-head fell past his shoulders, brilliant green eyes were looking at everything in the apartment except Roxas and the blond knew the other man was tall and wiry, though his baggy jeans and oversized sweatshirt hid the muscle Roxas knew he had. The blond sighed, tucking his hands into his hoodie pocket for more warmth.

"Okay, Axel. Start at the beginning," he ordered. The red-head shifted on the couch until he was more upright and cleared his throat before beginning his story.

"It happened two weeks ago, when I first came into town..."

* * *

The wolf paused, lowering its head to the ground as it searched for the smell again. He huffed in irritation. He had been tracking a coven of vampires for over a week and if he didn't find them soon another person would be killed. The wolf growled low in his throat at the thought. He still hadn't forgiven himself for the loss of that girl's life. He shook his head to dispel the melancholy thoughts before sniffing the ground again, pawing at the dirt as if trying to dig up the scent. The sun would be setting soon and the bloodsuckers would be on the move. A gentle wind picked up and the world raised his head to sniff the air. He opened his mouth and let his tong roll out before sniffing again. Giving a small yip the auburn wolf bounded toward the small town.

He slowed as he approached the town. The smell was stronger here but it was twice as dangerous for the wolf – he'd have to be cautious about people. They were always so shocked and appalled to see him – as if _he_ was the one they needed to be worried about. He could transform but his senses weren't as sharp and it always left him a bit weaker. He decided to forgo changing just yet. He slunk into the shadows and began searching for the freshest scent. A few minutes later, he found it and began to follow the trail, trying to keep in the shadows and alleyways as much as possible. His pace picked up as the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon. Still, the town was bigger than he initially thought and night had slipped in like a thief by the time he found the coven. His heart sank as he saw that the four vampires had a blond teen surrounded. The wolf's inner self howled in rage, wanting to rip the coven to shreds but his human side rationalized 'change first'. The auburn wolf breathed deeply, gritting his teeth as bone and tissue stretched. He wobbled for a moment, unaccustomed to two feet but he quickly found his center of balance and turned his attention to the scene in front of him.

"Look, if you're trying to jump me for money I can tell you right now it's a lost cause," the blond stated. The wolf silently growled in appreciation of the teen's bravery.

"It's not your _money_ we want," sneered the coven leader. "It's your _blood._"

"Did Seifer pay you to beat me up? Cause if he did you can tell him to kiss my ass – I beat him fair and square," the teen responded. The vampire furthest from the wolf whined.

"Let's just eat him! I'm hungry!" Before the others could respond, the wolf moved and ripped the throat out of one and broke a second one's neck. That left the coven leader and the whiner.

"The hell?!" The blond questioned.

"Shut up," the wolf growled before launching at the last two vampires. The blond watched wide-eyed as the red-headed stranger killed the last of his four assailants.

"They're just thugs, why'd you kill them?" he asked, watching as the other man piled the four corpses into a dumpster.

"They were going to eat you."

"Eat me? Like – omnomnom?" The wolf snorted.

"Yes, like omnomnom," he responded sarcastically.

"So...they're..." the blond trailed off.

"Vampires. And you were going to be dinner."

"And you..." the blond started.

"Stopped them," the wolf finished, turning to look the blond in the face for the first time. He froze as the wolf inside howled in joy.

"Well...thanks for saving my life, I guess," the blond stated, edging away from the man. He froze when he felt the other pin him with his gaze.

"I'm not delusional. Wait five minutes for the sun to rise and watch what happens to the bodies," the wolf stated. The blond wavered in indecision before moving to stand next to the mad man. As the sun rose and the rays filtered into the alleyway the blond watched with a mixture of amazement and horror as the corpses' skin began to blister and peel before the bodies turned to ash.

"How -wh- just...WHAT?"

"Vampires," the wolf stated.

"They were going to EAT ME?" the blond demanded.

"Now you're catching on," the red-head applauded. The blond groaned in frustration, walking in a wide circle and tugging on his unruly locks.

"And who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Axel," the red-head responded.

"Axel," the blond repeated. "I'm Roxas. How'd you know how to kill them? Are you a vampire hunter?" he questioned. Axel snorted.

"Hardly. You could say I'm a mercenary. I'm un-bonded, so I'm able to move wherever they need me to," he stated. Realized he'd said too much, Axel grit his teeth.

"Un-bonded? And who are 'they'?" Roxas asked.

"It's nothing," Axel snapped, striding away. "Just go home and convince yourself that this was all some delusional dream. Be content living in your world of make-believe where the most dangerous thing is mankind."

"But -" Roxas began and Axel whirled around.

"Forget you met me, Roxas," he stated before sprinting out of the alleyway. He waited until he cleared the end of the block before changing back into his wolf.

Despite wanting Roxas to forget about him, Axel hung around the town for another two weeks. But supernatural occurrences were minor and Axel knew he had to start heading back to the pack. It wasn't until he tried to leave town that he realized he couldn't. At least not alone. He had barely put one paw outside the town's limits before his inner wolf began howling in rage.

_What?_ His human-side asked. _What is it?_ The auburn wolf laid down and began whimpering piteously – the whine he used when asked about a mate. _N__o way! You can't have imprinted – we only met...oh God...tell me you didn't!_ Axel pleaded. The wolf sat up and gave him a smug look. _Bad boy! Bad!_ Axel scolded mentally before heaving a sigh and turning around to search for Roxas' scent.

He was across the street from the apartment complex when he saw the teen trudging home. Axel shifted to his human form and loped up to the smaller man.

"We need to talk..." he sighed.

* * *

"So...you're a werewolf?" Roxas stated. Axel nodded. "And...we're mated?" he asked. Axel nodded again. "But...I'm not gay!" Axel scowled.

"Trust me, it's not my ideal situation either, but imprints can't be broken so we're stuck with it." Internally he scowled at the wolf who panted back contentedly – happy to be near its mate.

Roxas flopped back into his chair. It was only two weeks ago that he learned supernatural beings existed and now he was the mate of a gay werewolf. How could his life possibly get any weirder?

~Review~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so this is another one I reviewed myself so any and all mistakes are mine! You can't have them! *clears throat* Anyway... to avoid people sending me reviews asking, "Was that whole scene between Roxas, Hayner and Seifer really necessary?" YES, it is going to be pertinent to the story later on. Now enjoy.

* * *

Despite finding himself unceremoniously mated to a _very_ resentful nineteen year old, Axel's life continued much the way it always had. He had sent a letter to his pack to tell them what had happened and though they had initially been upset about the potential loss of their traveling mercenary Axel had managed to convince them he could still move freely. And he could, since Roxas had (sullenly) accepted the bond. That had been three weeks ago and Axel hadn't seen the fiery blond since. News of a possible wendigo sighting had sent the hunter to the mountains and he had only just returned.

The auburn wolf winced as each step exacerbated his injuries but he didn't slow down. He wanted to get to the apartment. It was only when he turned onto the street that he realize he hadn't thought his plan through. It was early evening on Saturday and people would soon be leaving their houses to enjoy an evening out with friends and family. His own olfactory senses told him that Roxas had left the apartment complex approximately an hour ago. Whining in distress at being unable to enter the complex - his injuries prevented him from shifting to his human self - but unwilling to leave, Axel curled himself into the ninety-degree angle where the apartment steps intersected the brick wall and began licking his wounds while he waited for Roxas to return.

* * *

Roxas frowned down at his cup before knocking back the clear amber liquid, relishing the burn. It distracted him but not enough to ease the feeling of disquiet settling into his stomach. Something was wrong with the wolf.

"Dude!" Pence shouted as he tossed an arm around Roxas' shoulder. The chubby brown-haired teen was past tipsy and well into wasted. "When are you going to tell us about the red-head I saw you with a month ago? Is he your _boyfriend_?" Pence teased with a wink. '_Oh, if you only knew,'_ the blond thought silently, noting the odd look his friend Hayner gave him. The dirty blond boy was dressed in his usual camo pants with a t-shirt and green vest but he had been silent all evening, staring morosely into his beer.

"Oh, God, Pence, it's time to get you home," Olette stated, grabbing her boyfriend's arm. "Roxas, I'm really sorry about his improper questions," the slim, long-haired brunette apologized but Roxas shrugged it off.

"He always gets weird when he's been drinking. Come on, I'll help you get him to the car," he stated, standing and shrugging into his jacket.

"I should be getting home as well," Hayner stated, slipping off the stool. He momentarily lost his balance as the town's bully pushed past him, shoving the smaller man into the bar.

"Oops, sorry," the older man sneered. "Your ass was in the way." Roxas fully expected a fight to break out as it always did when Seifer and Hayner were around one another but Hayner merely sighed heavily and brushed himself off, wincing as he straightened and could feel the bruise forming along his ribs. He murmured a soft, "Whatever," before moving to help Olette keep Pence on his feet. Roxas shot his friend an assessing look before moving to help as well.

"Want to talk about it?" Roxas asked as Olette drove off. Hayner scuffed his shoe against the ground and shoved his hands into his pant pockets.

"If you tell me about the red-head Pence mentioned," he finally answered. Roxas' knee-jerk reaction was to say that he and Axel were just friends but the feisty blond obviously had something on his mind and Roxas was willing to bet it had something to do with Hayner's odd reaction to Seifer.

"We met five weeks ago," Roxas began and started walking back to his apartment. It was only five blocks away and once there Hayner could choose to sleep over or walk the remaining three blocks to his own apartment. "He's new in town and he saved me from getting jumped by some thugs." _'No need to tell him the __**whole**__ truth.'_ "We kind of hit it off so…we're seeing where it goes. Neither of us has dated a guy before, so…" Roxas shrugged. Silence ensued and it lasted for a majority of the walk. Finally, one block from Roxas' apartment Hayner spoke.

"I think I'm in love with Seifer," he stated softly as he quit walking. Roxas stopped as well. He said nothing but he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's stupid, I know. I mean, we've been fighting since I was like, two, but…" he trailed off and sighed before running a hand through his gelled hair in aggravation. "I mean, you see how he treats me," Hayner continued, referring to being shoved into the bar. "So, what? I'm just supposed to walk up to him and tell him I love him so he can punch me?"

"I wouldn't punch you," a soft voice stated and Hayner whirled around to stare at the object of his affection.

"Seifer, what do you want?" Roxas demanded, not wanting the older man to hurt his friend even more.

"This doesn't concern you," Seifer snarled at Roxas, his eyes never leaving Hayner's. The smaller blond was trying to inch away from the bully. "I wouldn't punch you," he reiterated. Hayner scoffed at the beanie-wearing man.

"And what _would_ you do?" he demanded hotly. "Shove me against the bar again so I can have matching bruises?" Seifer's smirk was the only warning the two nineteen year olds had before the older boy pinned Hayner against the brick of a building. Roxas moved to help his friend but thought better of it after witnessing Seifer's tongue slithering into Hayner's mouth. Turning on his heel, the teen finished the walk to his apartment by himself, his heart aching for a certain red-head.

Roxas heard the whine as he was attempting to dig his keys out of his jeans pocket. He paused and listened, trying to locate where the noise came from. As another muffled whimper pierced the air, the blond moved toward the shadows and barely discerned a huddled mass in the corner. Creeping closer he clearly made out the shape of a dog.

"Axel?" he asked softly. Green eyes opened and gleamed at him and a small tail-wag confirmed the blond's theory. "What the hell? Why didn't you just let yourself in?" he demanded softly. He didn't want to look like a _total _idiot if someone caught him talking to a dog. Axel whimpered at him again and Roxas took a closer look at the auburn wolf. His fur was shaggy and unkempt and the blond could clearly see that the werewolf had lost a lot of weight in the past three weeks; he rested a hand on the matted fur and could easily feel the ribs. He stroked the fur and curled his nose in disgust as he met a wet, congealed mess. Drawing his hand back he could smell the distinct odor of blood. "Dammit, Axel, what the hell did you get yourself into? Think you can get yourself into the apartment?" Roxas asked. "I don't think I can carry you." Axel gave a small lick to the blond's hand before dragging himself to his feet with extreme effort. Roxas could clearly see the wolf's legs shaking and hurriedly unlocked the complex's door, glad that he shelled out the extra money for a first floor apartment. Axel wearily dragged himself up the complex steps and into Roxas' apartment before finally allowing himself to collapse just inside the door.

Roxas rushed around his apartment, frantically trying to think of what to do with the injured werewolf. He couldn't take Axel to the hospital as long as he was in his wolf form, but Axel seemed unable to shift back to his human form. The blond had no idea where to find a vet hospital - he had never owned a pet before - and could he take Axel there without the veterinarians suspecting anything? He supposed the first thing he should do was to try and see how badly the wolf was injured. Grabbing a washcloth and dampening it the blond began wiping Axel down. After three strokes with the washcloth, Roxas decided to change tactics and drag the injured wolf to the bathtub.

Running warm water, Roxas let the tub fill while he went and covered the couch under thick blankets before preparing a meal for Axel. As he scrounged around his kitchen, the blond suddenly realized how little he knew of his mate. _'What the hell do werewolves eat?_' he wondered. Roxas vaguely remember some documentary about wolf culture and he supposed steak would work. He pulled the red meat out of his fridge and sat it on the counter, staring at it. Would Axel eat it raw? Or should he cook it? He was still pondering this latest quandary when the sound of swirling water caught his attention.

"Shit," he muttered, rushing to the bathroom. He was afraid the water had overflown, but there was still a good six inches between the water and the edge of the tub. The noise he had heard was that of Axel dragging himself into the tub so that Roxas wouldn't have to lift him. The panting wolf sat in the water, struggling to hold his head up. Roxas cursed internally. Why hadn't he figured that Axel would want to lie down? He flipped the tub's drain and allowed the water to lower. Axel gave a grateful yip and slid down onto his stomach. Roxas re-plugged the drain and began rinsing Axel's fur. He found quite a number of scratches and several deep lacerations that would require some type of medical attention. As the water became murky the blond drained the tub, wrapped a towel around the wet wolf and lifted Axel out before carrying him back out into the living room and setting him on the couch.

'_Would Kairi know what to do?'_ he wondered. Chicks dug animals, right? If he remembered correctly, Kairi even volunteered at an animal hospital. Or did she actually work there? Roxas glanced at the wolf. Axel hadn't moved from where Roxas had set him, even though it couldn't have been the most comfortable of positions. Fearing that Axel would die of blood loss he dialed Kairi's number. He'd deal with her questions after Axel was better.

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	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Someday my beta will be free again... In the meantime any and all mistakes are my own. I KNOW I said I would work on Let Me Spin You a Yarn By The Fire but it takes A LOT of time to practically re-write a story/movie. As such, it was a slow week at work and I got this done in the interim. Enjoy.

* * *

Roxas paced nervously as he waited for Kairi to show up. Axel hadn't so much as twitched since the younger man had placed him on the couch and the blond was beginning to think that the red-head really would die. When his doorbell finally rang Roxas wrenched his door open and dragged the brunette inside.

"Roxas!" Kairi shouted, surprised by how her normally level-headed friend was acting. "Now, what's going on?" She asked after she caught her balance and Roxas had apologized. "You were so evasive over the phone." The blond ushered her over to the couch. "Oh, my! Roxas, why do you have a wolf in your apartment?" Kairi asked, refusing to approach the animal.

"He's hurt, Kairi," Roxas stated. "Besides, I think he's one of those hybrids," he lied, sitting down and pulling the wolf's head into his lap. "See? He's really sweet." Roxas stated as the auburn wolf shifted and licked the blond's hand.

"Okay," Kairi sighed, bracing herself with a deep breath. "Okay." She approached the couch and knelt down in front of it. Setting her medical bag to the side, she paused and ran a hand through the wolf's damp fur, gasping in surprise. "He's so soft!"

"I know," Roxas stated as he smiled tightly. What he _really_ wanted was to smack the brunette's hands away from the wolf's prone body. He really didn't want Kairi touching his mate. Resisting he urge to shove her away he asked, "So can you help him?"

"Let's take a look," Kairi stated as she opened her bag. "You already washed the wounds?" she confirmed as she pulled on a pair of disposable medical gloves.

"Yeah," Roxas replied. He watched in fascination as the brunette ran her hands along the wolf's body, gently probing the lacerations.

"These don't look too bad," she stated, digging in her bag. "Since you've already cleaned the wounds I'll just apply some ointment and wrap the worst of it. If you want to you can give him some NSAIDs."

"N-_what_?" Roxas asked.

"Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs," Kairi explained. "Aspirin or anything like that. There you go," she stated, tying off the last bandage. "The only other advice I can give you is to keep him away from whatever wicked sharp claws he ran into. And I suggest having him neutered before the wolf's mating season, even if he is only part wolf." she said, packing her bag and standing. Roxas tensed as the wolf raised his head and gave the blond a look which clearly read, _'Do it and I will __**destroy**__ you.'_

"Uh...you know, I will definitely take that into consideration...but he's been through so much right now. Uh, do I owe you anything?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No, no, you just take care of this little sweetie," she stated, forgetting her initial fear and petting the wolf's head. "I'll be back some time next week to check on him but go ahead and call me if you need anything!" It was only _after_ the brunette had left that Roxas realized he had never bothered to ask her what to feed the wolf. Leaning wearily against the door, Roxas knocked his head against the wood before looking at Axel.

"Steak?" he asked and the wolf wagged his tail. "Cooked?" he questioned. The auburn wolf snorted. "I'm taking that as a 'no'," he muttered, pushing off the door. Entering the kitchen, the blond grabbed the steak he had set out earlier, tearing the package open and placing the raw meat on a plate before taking it to the injured werewolf. Setting the plate on the couch, the blond sank down into his armchair and watched as the wolf began masticating.

As Axel ate, Roxas sat and watched him, letting the situation sink in. They had been lucky tonight but if a similar situation were to occur, what would happen if someone else were to find the auburn wolf before Roxas? Would Axel be willing to wear a collar? The smaller man snickered at the thought. His mind racing with all the problems they were likely to come up against, Roxas never noticed the glowing green eyes watching him.

* * *

Roxas had never been happier for a slow day at the bookstore. Trusting the bell above the door to alert him of potential customers, the blond headed to the back of the store. Browsing the shelves in the supernatural section, he pulled several books on lycanthropy before sitting down and flipping through them. Losing track of time, Roxas read through the conflicting documentation on werewolves. The only thing he could say for certain was that Axel was a therianthropic hybrid i.e. when he shifted he fully transformed into a wolf instead of remaining human with wolf characteristics. After that, things began getting fuzzy as he tried to sort out Hungarian and Balkan folklore from that of Armenian, Romanian and American mythology. With enough references to skin-walkers, wolf-demons and other creatures he'd never heard of before, his head was beginning to spin. Dropping the book he was currently perusing with a groan, Roxas squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. The supernatural gave him a headache and it couldn't even explain why Axel had yet to change back to his human form. The blond sighed in irritation as he checked his phone – surprised to see that it was already time to go home. Shoving the books back into the appropriate shelves, Roxas locked up the store and headed home.

Tossing his keys into the basket by the door, the blond was disheartened to see that Axel was still in his wolf form. It had been three days and although the wolf's injuries were healed – and Roxas chalked that up to werewolf healing ability because no way should they be healed already – he had yet to shift. The blond could only guess but he didn't think the delay was usual – not with Axel pacing around in an agitated manner. Roxas would laugh at the oddness of it all if he weren't so worried – a large auburn wolf pacing a small apartment. Hilarious.

Collapsing onto the couch in a mixture of frustration and exhaustion Roxas didn't even blink as Axel settled his head onto the blond's lap; he automatically lifted his hand and began to stroke the silky fur as he sighed and began to relax.

"Good day?" He asked and Axel gave a small yip. "Think you'll be back in human form anytime soon?" The wolf whined pathetically and Roxas scratched his ears in apology. "I've been trying to figure out what could be wrong but all the literature is conflicting and disagrees with each other. I have no idea what to do," Roxas confessed, distressed. He calmed when the wolf licked his hand and the blond shifted to lay more comfortably on the couch, sighing contentedly as Axel curled up next to him. He was just going to rest a bit before making dinner.

"What are you growling at?" he asked sometime later, not even bothering to open his eyes. If someone broke into his apartment then they could deal with an agitated werewolf.

"I'm not growling at anything – my stomach is." Roxas jerked fully awake, flailing as he fought to keep his balance on the narrow couch. He felt one arm connect with soft flesh as he fell to the floor and pain blossomed as his cheek connected with his coffee table. At the same moment, Axel yelped in pain.

"Shit!" Roxas cursed, eyes slamming shut. As the pain receded he re-opened his eyes and glared at the red-head who was still on the couch and cradling his jaw in his right hand. "What the _fuck_, man?" the blond demanded.

"Hey, you're the one who just completely freaked out for no reason!" Axel protested.

"No rea- You've been wandering around as a _wolf_ for _three days_ before suddenly becoming a human while I was _asleep_ and you expect me not to freak the fuck out?" Roxas demanded as he climbed to his feet. Axel at least had the decency to look chagrined.

"When I'm badly injured it takes longer for me to save the energy needed to transform. It's not like I enjoy being stuck in wolf form," the red-head explained. Roxas sighed and ran a hand through unruly locks before collapsing into his arm chair.

"Look, I have off tomorrow so you're just going to have to explain this to me." After a moment's silence the younger man added, "And we're getting you a collar." Axel scowled and opened his mouth to argue but Roxas cut him off. "You got lucky this time. But what if someone else finds you next time? A collar will let them know to call me and I won't have to scour every shelter in the city trying to find you."

"Fine," the red-head agreed sullenly. The wolf growled at the idea of wearing such a thing but Axel had to agree that it made sense. It was novel, having someone else looking out for him. It was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"Okay," Roxas sighed as he tiredly ran a hand over his face, wincing as he hit the bruise forming on his cheek. Axel flinched in sympathy, knowing that it would take awhile for the bruise to fade – humans were so fragile. His own bruise had already disappeared. "Anyway," Roxas continued, bringing the werewolf's attention back to the conversation. "We'll talk more tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," Axel agreed. He watched as the smaller man stood and crossed the small apartment, pausing outside his bedroom door.

"Axel...what _did_ cause those wounds?"

"A wendigo," he answered, watching as Roxas mouthed the word before shaking his head and disappearing into the bedroom. Sighing, Axel made himself comfortable on the couch. All things considered, the conversation could have gone much worse.

In his room, Roxas grabbed his laptop and waiting for it to power up as he got comfortable on his bed. Pulling up his favored search engine the blond began researching wendigos. Coming across a site of Algonquian mythology, Roxas began reading about the beasts the author described as "_gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Weendigo looked like a giant skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. What lips is had were __tattered and bloody... Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Weendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption."_

As the embodiment of gluttony and greed, wendigos were never satisfied; they were always searching for their next victim. According to superstition, a person could become a wendigo by being greedy and indulging in excess, by being possessed by the spirit of a wendigo in sleep or – Roxas swallowed heavily – by partaking in cannibalism. The blond roughly closed his laptop and set it on the floor. He was in no way ready to deal with this new reality he found himself in.

By the time Roxas woke up the next morning, Axel had already showered, picked up his mail from the post office and made breakfast. The younger man stumbled into the kitchen and mumbled an incoherent greeting, focusing more on pouring his coffee into his cup instead of across the counter. It wasn't until Roxas had created and plated his breakfast burrito that he noticed Axel scowling at the piece of paper in his hands.

"Problem?" Roxas asked as he joined the older man at the table. Axel crumbled the paper before answering.

"A minor annoyance but nothing unexpected," he stated evasively, turning his attention back to his own breakfast. Silence fell in the kitchen, both men preoccupied with their own thoughts – Axel with the contents of the letter and Roxas with how to start the conversation about the supernatural.

"So..." he began after setting his plate in the sink and refilling his coffee cup. He had a feeling he was going to need plenty of caffeine to get through this conversation.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Axel asked, grabbing his own coffee and leading the way to the living room. Roxas paused to collect his thoughts.

"Everything," he finally stated, settling into his chair. "Start at the beginning and just keep going until you've caught me up." Axel sighed and settled himself more comfortably against the couch before taking a fortifying sip of coffee and thinking about what he was going to say.

"You can be born a werewolf or become one after you've been bitten, though purebreds – those who were born werewolves – try to keep the bitten population down. There is a "royal family" that rules over all werewolves but I won't bore you with details of how werewolves are classified after that. It would take too long and it would just confuse you," Axel stated. He paused to take another sip of coffee. "I was backpacking across the country with friends when we were attacked by a rogue werewolf pack. They were trying to expand their numbers because their leader – Xemnas – wanted to overthrow the ruling family. He wanted to lead the werewolf population in a revolt and replace humans as the dominant species."

"And I take it most werewolves weren't interested? Werewolves tend to be more protectors than aggressors, right?" Roxas asked, remembering how shape-shifters used to be revered as shamans. Axel gave the smaller man an odd look but the blond ignored it, motioning for the red-head to continue his story.

"You're correct. Despite how modern movies like to portray werewolves as flesh eating menaces, most werewolves only fight when needed and rarely attack humans. Most of Xemnas' pack were newly bitten ones. And in his rush to grow the pack he overlooked an important detail. He never had us submit to him." At Roxas' inquisitive look, Axel elaborated. "When an alpha has a new werewolf submit to them, the new wolf automatically becomes a beta wolf – meaning that he or she will never pose a threat to the current alpha. It also diminishes the likelihood of the wolf going rogue..." Axel trailed off, remembering all the scared teens who hadn't been able to win against their wolves' baser nature.

"What happened?" Roxas asked softly. Axel turned and stared at the younger man, his green eyes shining brightly.

"I killed him. The pack split up – those who had been bitten unwillingly followed me and those who still dreamed of ruling the world followed Xemnas' mate."

"But..." Roxas' brow furrowed in confusion. "If you had a pack, where are they now?"

"Roxas, I might have been – and still am – an alpha but I knew no more about our predicament than the rest of them." He smiled wryly. "We traveled until we came across another pack. I explained what had happened and they accepted the others into the pack."

"But not you?" Roxas asked. A flicker of pain crossed Axel's face.

"Yes and no. You can't have two alphas in a pack. Under normal circumstances it would lead to a fight between the two alphas, ending with one being either killed or kicked out of the pack. I was given the freedom of using their residence as a safe house when I wasn't traveling."

"They gave you a place to stay in exchange for fighting off any beasts that threaten them." Roxas stated flatly, completely unimpressed.

"It's better than nothing. Werewolves are social creatures; we _need_ a pack." Axel explained.

"And what happens now?" Roxas asked. "Am I expected to just pack up and go with you?" he demanded.

"I CAN'T go back, Roxas!" Axel shouted, jumping up from the couch. Stunned silence followed.

"...what?" Roxas asked, his voice small with confusion. Axel growled, showing elongated canines.

"The pack took a risk allowing another alpha to stay in their territory. Since I mated, I'm an even bigger risk to the current alpha. There's no way he'd let me stay..." Axel trailed off and turned away from the blond and Roxas realized for the first time since this crazy mess started that his life wasn't the only one to be turned upside down by the imprinting. Axel had his normal life ripped away from him and he had still managed to make a new life and family for himself. And now he had to do it all over again. Roxas bit his lip, staring at the floor in thought before standing and hugging the upset werewolf.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into Axel's chest and he felt the tension drain from the taller man as Axel hesitantly hugged him back. "So what are you going to do?" Roxas asked, craning his head to look at Axel.

"Riku offered a suggestion, one that would technically keep me in the pack," Axel stated, releasing the small blond. "They're already on their way out here to discuss it."

"They?" Roxas asked.

"The pack's council." Axel explained. "They'll be here in a few days."

~Review~


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm not entirely sure why this fic has suddenly gotten so popular but I strive to meet my readers' demands. So here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

A pack of five wolves slowed their gait as they approached the outskirts of the town. The largest wolf – a large, silver-haired animal – sniffed the wind, nodding when he found the scent he was looking for.

_We're in the right place. Axel is somewhere down there_. A smaller blond wolf let out a yip of joy but was quickly put in his place by a larger wolf. The wolf's fur was an interesting shade of white which darkened down to bluish tips.

_Keep hold of yourself, Demyx._ The wolf admonished and the blond wolf whined, flattening himself onto the ground in submission.

_Don't be mean, Zexion. We haven't seen Axel in forever._ The white-haired wolf rolled his eyes as the two smallest wolves – a brown-haired male and a blonde female – snickered.

_What's the plan, Riku?_ The brown-haired wolf asked. The silver wolf sniffed the wind again.

_I can't get a location. There are three possible places he could be. Sora,_ Riku stated, indicating the brown wolf. _You'll come with me. Zexion, take Demyx and check out the second scent trail. Namine, _he stated, turning to the blonde wolf,_ follow the third scent trail._ With their orders received, the wolves separated.

Riku and Sora swung wide, entering the town from the north. As they reached the residential areas they both shifted into human form. Taking a moment to re-orient themselves to two legs Sora grinned as he shook out his unruly locks.

"So where are we headed?" he asked his mate. Riku took a moment to run fingertips through his silver strands.

"This way," he stated, leading the younger man towards the business section of the town. Sora bounced along happily next to his mate. Navigating the streets with ease, it wasn't long before the two werewolves found themselves outside a small bookstore. Riku paused at the door as he scented the air.

"Something's not right," he stated as he peered through the window.

"Not right, how?" Sora asked as he tilted his head. "It smells like Axel to me."

"There's…something else. An underlying scent…like sea salt." As Riku struggled to explain, Namine approached her alphas.

"I found the apartment but it was empty," she told them quietly. Riku nodded absentmindedly but Sora gave the soft-spoken girl a wide grin.

"Come on." Riku ordered before opening the door and leading the way into the bookstore. The bell above the door caught them off-guard and they froze as if expecting an attack.

"I'll be right with you!" a voice shouted. Sora frowned.

"That's not Axel. …why do I recognize that voice?" he asked no one in particular.

"You know the voice?" Riku asked his mate. Sora's brows furrowed in concentration and silence fell. The sound of books being shelved was the only noise for a minute before heavy footsteps began heading their way. Sora remained lost in his own thoughts and with Riku's attention riveted on his mate Namine was the first to sight the blond.

"Sorry about the wait, what can I -"

"Roxas!" Sora shouted, jerking out of his reverie and launching himself at the other man.

"Sora?" he asked, voice unsure. The brown-haired boy pulled back and gave the blond a wide grin. "Sora!" Roxas shouted, matching the other boy's grin and yanking him back into a bone-crushing hug. "Where the _hell_ have you been?" Roxas demanded as he let go and slugged the teen in the arm. Riku went to move forward but Sora shook his head. "Last thing I heard you got yourself a boyfriend and then nothing."

"I'm sorry, Roxas," Sora stated sadly.

"It's been _two years_. What the hell would I have said to mom if she were still alive?" the blond demanded and Namine couldn't help the gasp that escaped. It was only then Roxas remembered the others - not that it dimmed his anger.

"If I might explain," Riku began.

"You…stay…out of this," Roxas snarled and Riku blinked. Yep, this was definitely Axel's mate. Before anything further could be discussed mass hysteria broke out as Zexion arrived dragging Demyx and Axel with him. With all the overlapping voices nothing was getting resolved which only served to incite Roxas' anger further.

"ENOUGH!" Riku bellowed. The instant silence echoed throughout the bookstore. "Sora," he continued, his voice back to his usual soft tone, "perhaps you should explain to us how you know Roxas."

"He's my big brother." The silence that followed Sora's simple statement was even louder than its predecessor.

"I didn't know you had a brother," Axel stated, turning to where Roxas stood glowering at everyone.

"That's because we know practically _nothing_ about each other. Idiot."

"You're Axel's mate?" Sora asked eagerly, his blue eyes wide with excitement. Roxas turned to glare at his brother and Sora pouted. "Don't be mad, brother."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just found out my baby brother _isn't_ dead but running around with werewolves. How would you _like_ me to act?" he asked.

"In his defense, it was an accidental imprinting," Riku said quietly.

"_You_," Roxas stated, whirling to face the silver-haired alpha, "don't talk to me." Demyx whined in the back of his throat. He really didn't want to see Axel's mate killed.

"Demyx, I doubt Riku is going to kill his mate's brother for being pissed off," Zexion stated, watching the scene impassively. "Especially when he's right to be angry," he stated, looking pointedly at Sora.

"I know. Roxas, I'm really, really, really sorry," Sora stated.

"They said you were dead, Sora," Roxas grit out. "They buried you. _I_ buried you because you couldn't be bothered to write," he told him, turning and letting Axel wrap a comforting arm around him.

"Roxas…" Sora trailed off, not needing his enhanced senses to know his brother was fighting back tears. The younger teen hung his head. "I didn't mean to. Riku accidentally imprinted on me and I didn't handle it as well as you did. I ran," he confessed. "By the time Riku found me and everything else… Mom had already died and I was mixed up with werewolves. I thought you'd have an easier time if you didn't have to worry about me." Silence ensued before Roxas mumbled something that was muffled into Axel's chest. "What?" Sora asked and Roxas turned his head.

"I said you're an asshole." Apparently this absolved Sora because the younger teen grinned and pounced his big brother.

"I get the distinct feeling I'm never going to understand their interactions," Riku stated as he crossed his arms.

"You and me both," Axel stated, slapping the other alpha on the back. "Come on," he said, leading the group out of the store. "Let's talk shop."

"I don't think we'll all fit in the apartment. And we definitely don't have enough food," Roxas confessed.

"So we'll grab a back booth at the diner," Axel stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Roxas hung back.

"That's not such a good idea," he stated, his eyes flickering to his brother. "It's…it's Kairi's favorite place to eat." Sora's face drained of color.

"Oh god," he groaned. "I completely forgot about Kairi."

"Okay," Riku intervened, his brain quickly devising a plan. He had no idea who Kairi was but the thought of her clearly caused his mate distress. "Sora, you and Demyx go back to the apartment with Roxas. The rest of us will talk at the restaurant." Orders received, the group split.

"I can't believe you still work at the bookstore," Sora stated.

"What did you think I would be doing? When mom died, we lost the house. The money from the bookstore paid for rent instead of college. Besides, when Merlin retired he transferred ownership to me," Roxas stated, shrugging.

"I'm sorry," Sora said quietly. "I really did think it would be easier on you if I stayed away."

"I know," Roxas replied as he dug into his pocket for his key. "You were wrong, but I know." He said it with no judgment in his voice and Sora gave him a small smile.

"So, we never actually got introduced," Demyx stated, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Roxas unlocked his door. "I'm Demyx." The name triggered something in Roxas' brain and the smaller blond wracked his memories, trying to remember.

"You're one of Axel's friends. One of the people with him when he got bit." Roxas recalled and the taller blond beamed.

"Yeah, Zexion was the other," Demyx stated, pretending to draw bangs over his right eye. Roxas remembered seeing a smaller man hanging back with a slight blonde.

"Your mate," Roxas stated and Demyx treated him to another smile.

"You're sharp. That's good 'cause you'll have to be with Axel around." Demyx stated. Roxas merely shrugged before heading into the kitchen, his heart beating stronger as he thought of Axel by himself with the other werewolves. "You don't have to worry about Axel, you know," the wiry blond stated, hearing Roxas' heartbeat speed up. "He's been taking care of himself forever."

"I'm not worried!" Roxas snapped.

"But -" Demyx began but Sora vehemently shook his head and the blond took it as the warning it was. _Never_ try to tell Roxas what he was feeling.

* * *

The restaurant was bustling with activity which was good for the four people huddling in a corner booth. As they finished placing their orders silence reigned as their server walked away.

"This is fortunate," Riku stated and Zexion and Namine nodded their agreement. Axel relaxed, glad to know he wasn't going to be ex-communicated. "However, there is bad news."

"We've received news," Namine continued, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Larxene is looking to continue Xemnas' plans and she's amassing an army with Marluxia as general." She paused as Axel growled low in his throat. "Calm yourself," she soothed. "The kingdom is preparing for war. Now, we can't use our homestead as a camp - there are too many women and children. Besides, most of our young and bitten ones have never had to live through a war."

"So you'd send your potential fighters here," Axel stated.

"You're our best fighter," Zexion informed him. "It's not praise, it's a fact. There's a fair amount of land for sale on the outskirts of town, and there's an old mansion included. We could make it into a second homestead."

"You'd be in charge here but you'd still answer to me," Riku stated. "And instead of traveling around, you'd only have to investigate direct threats to both homesteads." Axel stayed quiet and thought over the proposition. It was very enticing - everything he could have hoped for since he'd had his normal life ripped from him. But he wasn't sure how this new arrangement would affect Roxas. "Think about it," Riku said softly, sensing Axel's thoughts. "Talk it over with Roxas and get back to us. Zexion and Demyx will stay in town. When you decide, you can either send one to gather the others or both to turn the offer down." Glancing at the wall clock the silver-haired alpha realized how late it had gotten. "If you'll excuse me, I think it's time I gathered Sora and returned." He exited swiftly and after giving Axel a quick hug Namine floated after him.

"It's a good offer," Zexion said quietly as they headed back to the apartment. "And a strategic move."

"You know I'd never challenge Riku - not after everything he's done for us."

"I mean it's a strategic move in terms of protecting Roxas." Zexion clarified and Axel halted. The smaller man turned to face him. "It's no longer a question of 'if' there's a war; it's a question of 'when'. Neither Larxene nor Marluxia is the forgiving type - Larxene in particular since you killed her mate. They both want revenge. Do you really think Roxas would be safe from them?" Zexion's words were like a bucket of cold water to the alpha and he stared at his friend in horror. "I don't mean to say it so callously but you have to be aware of the possibility. You need contingency plans."

"You're right. I keep forgetting that it's not just about me anymore." Axel replied, smiling wryly. "And I'll talk with Roxas but I've got a feeling a whole bunch of werewolves are going to be moving to Twilight Town."

~Review~


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry it took so long to upload. I hit an insane writing streak and then just couldn't be bothered. A shorter chapter but things will start taking off in the upcoming chapters.

* * *

Axel currently had two very big problems, both of which were centered around Roxas. The first problem was how to broach the topic of potentially moving the blond into an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town with several werewolves. The second issue was that the blond was currently stumbling around the kitchen half-awake and attempting to make breakfast. Now, this wasn't an uncommon occurrence but today the teenager hadn't bothered to get dressed and was stumbling around the kitchen in nothing but his boxers. Axel bit his tongue, _hard_, but still couldn't keep the whine from escaping his throat.

"Axel?" Roxas asked, peering over his shoulder. "Are you okay?" The werewolf stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, hands gripping the edges of the door-frame. His face was pale and drawn and tremors wracked his body. Roxas drew his eyebrows together in concern and left his breakfast preparations on the counter. "Hey," he said, slowly approaching the older man.

"Don't," Axel told him, his voice low from the effort it took to hold the wolf back. Roxas paused before a particularly violent jerk spurred him to move forward. "I...said...DON'T," Axel hissed, green eyes and elongated canines flashing. Long fingers flexed and the blond could _hear_ the wall giving way beneath Axel's unforgiving grip. He spared a moment to wonder what had brought this about before back-tracking across the room. Axel heaved a deep breath, reining back the wolf. "Go get dressed," he told Roxas, pointedly not looking at the blond. Roxas glanced down at his black and white checkered boxers, realization dawning before he fled out the doorway into the hallway and back to his room.

At the slamming of the bedroom door, Axel pried his fingers off the door-frame and collapsed at the kitchen table, letting his head fall onto the wooden surface. The wolf in his head whined and the mini-Axel in his mind glared at the beast. _'Mate or not, he__ wouldn't have appreciated being jumped in the kitchen,'_ he chastised. _'He's barely tolerating the bond as is, and you...__aren't__...helping.'_ The wolf hung his head.

"Axel," a voice asked tentatively. The red-head turned his head without lifting it from the table. Roxas stood in the doorway, examining the fingerprints in the door-jam.

"We need to talk," Axel sighed, sitting up. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "How do you feel about moving?" he asked before wincing. That wasn't how he'd wanted to broach the subject but he was exhausted from holding the wolf back.

"Axel, I swear to God that if you're implying we have to move to...to...Wolf Land, I'm going to shoot you," Roxas told him.

"...you know that wouldn't kill me, right?" he asked, letting his head rest back on the table.

"But it'd hurt like a motherfucker, wouldn't it?" the blond demanded. Axel snorted.

"We wouldn't be moving to 'Wolf Land'. We'd stay here in Twilight Town. At the old mansion." He listened as Roxas moved around the room finishing the breakfast preparations.

"The mansion? There's nothing out there but woods." Roxas stated and Axel gave the blond a bemused smile. "Which would be perfect for a werewolf," Roxas realized. "But why such a large place?"

"It wouldn't be just us," Axel told him. "There's a war coming and our pack is young. A majority of the members haven't had to fight and if Larxene attacks they'll be slaughtered," he explained, taking the cub of coffee Roxas offered him.

"So their solution is to uproot us to a new house hell and gone from civilization so you can train them?" Roxas scowled. "And you're okay with that?"

"Okay first of all, it's not that far away from the town and second of all, it's not about what I'm okay with – it's about what's safest for _you_."

"And how is a _human_ being surrounded by _werewolves_ the safest option for _me_?" Roxas demanded, slamming his plate of scrambled eggs onto the table before sitting himself.

"Because as pack-mates, they'd help protect you. War is coming, Roxas, and it's going to get ugly, especially seeing as Larxene has a personal vendetta against me. I killed her mate, remember? Do you think she'd hesitate to kill you if given the chance? She's even more dangerous now that she has Marluxia on her side. He has his own reasons for wanting to hurt me and he won't hesitate to use you to do it."

"Do you purposely piss off the deranged werewolves?" Roxas asked as he let his fork clatter onto the table – his appetite having fled. Axel didn't respond. "So, we'd move to the mansion, you'd train werewolves but everything else stays the same, aside from two psychos out for my blood," he stated with a sigh. "Perfect." His tone implied that it was anything but.

"Roxas," Axel began but the blond pushed away from the table.

"I have to get to work," he muttered.

* * *

Roxas groaned as he saw the other man step inside the bookstore. The initial rush of the morning had long since died down, leaving the blond no customers to hide behind. And he'd so been looking forward to an afternoon free of werewolves.

"Where's Axel?" he asked the silvery-blue haired boy.

"Helping Demyx deal with a hell-hound." There was a time when Roxas would have thought the man was insane for making that statement. Now it was just another part of the week.

"So why aren't you helping him?" Roxas asked, shifting uncomfortably. Something about Zexion always made the blond feel like he was being scrutinized.

"Illusions don't do much when fighting a demon dog. And I wanted to talk to you," Zexion stated.

"I'd really rather not," Roxas stated, grabbing books to shelve.

"You need to know everything. And Axel won't do it," the werewolf stated as he trailed after the store owner. Roxas paused before eying Zexion.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Axel bonded but you haven't mated," he stated.

"Mate-"

"You haven't had sex," Zexion stated clinically and Roxas felt his face flush.

"THAT is none of your -"

"The longer you wait the weaker Axel will get. He's already having a hard time keeping the wolf at bay," Zexion told him. Roxas though back to earlier that morning - to the new finger-shaped indentations decorating the kitchen door-frame.

"What'll happen?" he asked softly.

"What do you think will happen?" Zexion snapped, his eyes flashing. "Wolves are pack creatures. They _need_ touch. As long as you accept the bond he'll live. But if you keep denying him everything else he won't have much to live for."

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked.

"A mate is the heart of a werewolf. Losing a mate, or being denied...it's like ripping the heart out of someone. Take a heart out of a werewolf and all you have left – if they even survive in the first place – is the baser nature. Most werewolves turn feral. And then they're neutralized," Zexion ended softly.

"Why didn't he say anything?" Roxas asked the man quietly. Zexion snorted.

"You weren't exactly receptive to the idea of the bond to begin with. How was he supposed to tell you what he needed? He's been telling you what you absolutely needed to know and nothing else. Quit letting him get away with it or you'll both end up dead before Larxene even launches the first attack." With that, the werewolf turned on his heel and exited the shop, leaving Roxas by himself with a hell of a lot to think about.

And he did think about it. It wasn't like the blond hadn't noticed that Axel was good-looking and the older man was obviously anxious to keep his mate safe and happy. After all, after the whole 'oops, I accidentally bonded with you' episode the werewolf kept himself scarce unless necessary. Roxas supposed Axel wouldn't be the worst person to be tied to, and Sora seemed perfectly content with Riku. But he needed more information before he could come to a definite decision and it was high time he forced the red-head to answer all his questions.

"You. Me. Talking. Now. WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" he demanded, barging into his apartment. Axel sat sprawled on the floor with a burn kit spread out in front of him and was attempting to wrap his upper arm one-handedly. Axel grinned weakly.

"Sparky didn't take too well to being sent back to Hell," he stated before cursing as the gauze slipped. Roxas blinked.

"You were fighting a Hell-hound named Sparky?" the blond asked, trying to keep his lips from twitching into an amused smile. He was _pissed_, not amused.

"Not exactly. Demyx and I nicknamed him Sparky after the Hell-hound on Big Wolf on Campus," Axel explained. Seeing the blank stare Roxas gave him, he elaborated. "Teen jock gets bit by werewolf right before his senior year? Decides to use his power to protect his town from supernatural beings? Never mind…" he trailed off as the blond began rubbing his temples in frustration.

"You're an idiot," Roxas sighed, kneeling down and taking the gauze from the werewolf. He applied burn lotion to the scarred skin before wrapping fresh gauze around the marred flesh. "Axel," he began as he tied off the wrap, "What happened this morning?" The red-head gave him a tight smile before swallowing pain medication, standing and moving to tug his shirt back on before realizing that all that was left of it was shredded rags.

"Wolves are social creatures with a deep-seated Isolophobia," he told Roxas. "Werewolves need people - not for comfort or support or things like that - we need people for touch, to allay our wolves' fear of solitary confinement. When we find our mates the urge to reach out is even stronger. I've been holding the wolf back since we bonded but…in a non-stop tug-of-war between a human and alpha wolf a human can only last so long."

"So you're saying you nearly lost control of the wolf this morning," Roxas confirmed and Axel nodded as he sank down tiredly onto the couch. "What would change if we…" he trailed off, his face flushing. Axel sighed, tilting his head onto the back of the couch and shutting his eyes.

"Essentially? Aside from the actual physical aspect of our relationship, nothing. I'd be even more protective of you. But at the same time, those protective instincts would demand absolute loyalty and would demand I punish you if you were disloyal. And trust me, you don't want to know what that entails," he warned and Roxas' face went from flushed to white in mere seconds. "This isn't a decision to be made lightly," Axel told him before the pain medication kicked in and he dozed off. Roxas watched the werewolf for a moment, noting for the first time how exhausted he looked. His pale face was even paler than usual and he had dark circles beneath his eyes. The blond wondered how long he'd been silently struggling before sighing and pulling down the blanket from the back of the couch and covering the older man with it.

With Axel passed out on the couch, all of Roxas' questions were left unasked and unanswered. Would he be expected to become a werewolf? Why did Marluxia have a vendetta against Axel? If they moved into the mansion, would Roxas still be able to bring his friends over? Would it even be safe for his friends to come over with werewolves running around? What would Roxas' role be as they built a pack in Twilight Town? Would Roxas be expected to fight in the war when it finally broke out? And more importantly, would he be able to give Axel what he needed? Deciding that all decisions could wait until he'd had a good night's sleep, Roxas crawled into bed and turned out the light.

~Review~


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So here's the next chapter for all of you to enjoy! Sorry it took so long.

* * *

Roxas hunkered down as the large bodies clashed together. Trees were ripped up by the roots and crashed to the ground as bodies crashed into them. Boulders soared through the air, flung as projectiles in this throw-down between good and evil. Roxas could no longer discern who belonged to what side anymore. He shouldn't even be here but he had to make sure…had to see that Axel was still alive. He grit his teeth as a body crashed into the trunk he was hiding behind and he covered his head as thick splinters of wood rained over him. It would take the forest a long time to get over the indignities being visited on it today. Roxas crouched and scampered to his next hiding spot, making sure to stay close to the clawed earth.

Diving into the thick bushes, Roxas caught a brief glimpse of auburn and gold. The two blurs broke away from each other and Roxas made out Axel's panting form. Neither he nor the gold wolf looked to be in good shape and the blond felt his heart sink in his chest as the two wolves lunged at each other. It was over in an instant. Axel clawed the gold wolf's stomach, spilling entrails onto the scarred dirt but had barely managed two steps before a brownish-pink wolf had his jaws around the auburn wolf's throat. And Axel, weakened by battle - and the lack of affection from his mate - did not have the energy to fight him off. Roxas shrieked as the bond broke inside him - as the piece of Axel which he carried inside of him was torn out of his heart and mind. The blond never knew who won the battle because everything went black.

Roxas woke in a cold sweat and labored to get his breathing back under control. He let his gaze travel around his room as his heartbeat slowed, everything clearly outlined by the moonlight. He shifted on his bed, glancing out the window and letting the peaceful scene wash away the remaining images of death and bloodshed. The dream had unsettled him. Roxas had always been prone to nightmares but what had perturbed him about this was the fact that he could easily see his nightmare becoming a reality. The blond was already well aware of the fact that there was no way Axel was going to sit out once the war broke out. His sense of loyalty to Riku was too strong to be ignored and if he was going to go off gallivanting into war, then Roxas wanted him to be as healthy as possible. But…he sighed…he was scared.

The incidents of the previous day had brought the wolf's strength to the forefront of the blond's brain. If something should go wrong then there was no way in hell that Roxas would be able to fight Axel off. The mere thought of it had the blond feeling sick to his stomach and shuddering. He needed to talk to Sora. Thankful that his baby brother had gotten a new cell phone while he was in town, Roxas grabbed his own phone and hit his second speed dial.

"Roxas?" a sleepy voice asked and the blond realized for the first time since he woke up that it was only three-thirty in the morning. "Is something wrong?" Sora asked, alarm coloring his voice at Roxas' silence.

"No! No, nothing's wrong," he assured. "I need to talk to you about…stuff," he finished lamely as his face heated up. Jesus, it was awkward enough talking to your brother about sex. It was doubly awkward asking your baby brother about gay werewolf sex. He took a deep breath and blew his bangs out of his face. "Were you still human when you and Riku mated?" Roxas could practically _hear_ Sora's face flush. Good. At least he's not the only one embarrassed.

"Uh…guh." Sora cleared his throat and then cleared it again. "Yes. Why?"

"I'm…concerned. We haven't actually…y'know?" Roxas struggled to get his point across. "And it's not like I can fight him off," he stated. He felt another blush heat his face as Sora huffed out a laugh and Roxas glowered at his bed cover.

"Rox, he'd never hurt you. Unless you cheated on him but you're not that type of person."

"Yeah," Roxas sighed as he let himself fall back into a sprawl. "Thanks, Sora. Sorry about waking you up." He hung up and let his hand fall back onto the bed. So, he didn't need to worry about Axel potentially killing him with sex. Yay. Settling onto his side, Roxas attempted to fall back asleep but his mind would not be quiet. Turning to his original position on his back the blond listened to the sounds of his apartment. He could hear the ticking of the clock (abnormally loud in the piercing silence) and down the hallway the refrigerator kicked on with a hum. His own breathing added to the noise along with the annoying cicadas outside his window. Sitting up quickly, the blond realized what was bothering him. He couldn't hear the wolf's breathing in the living room. Letting the covers slide from his body, Roxas slipped out of bed and padded quietly to the front room. As he expected, it was empty although the front door was not fully latched.

With his heart beating a staccato rhythm in his chest, he opened the door just wide enough to allow his body to slip through. He nearly tripped as he found the door to the apartment complex propped open and Axel sitting on the porch stoop clothed in nothing but his pajama bottoms and moonlight. Although the evening was cool, Axel still had a light sheen of sweat covering his skin and Roxas knew that Axel was losing the battle with his wolf.

"Axel," he called softly. The werewolf's head whipped around, green eyes flashing a warning to stay back unless he was planning on having a very solid hybrid pounce him. The blond sighed and ran a hand through his sleep-tousled locks as he made up his mind. "Come on," he ordered before sliding back into his apartment. He didn't look behind him as he heard the front door swing shut or when his own apartment door shut. Instead, he entered his bedroom, the door left open in silent invitation. Axel followed shortly thereafter, shutting the door with a single thought on his mind. _Mine._

* * *

Roxas woke with a start before attempting to scramble out of bed, all the while cursing under his breath. He'd overslept and really needed to haul ass to make it to the store on time. Two things impeded his progress: 1. A ridiculously warm, comfortable weight was settled on him, and 2. He was sore _all over_. When the memories of the night before filtered through his sleep-deprived brain Roxas' face flushed red with embarrassment and he hazarded a quick glance over his shoulder. Yep, there was a sleeping werewolf looking entirely too content. It made the blond want to do something utterly silly, like curl up next to him and stay there all day. Still, he sighed, he had a store to run.

"Axel," he croaked before clearing his throat. "Axel, wake up." No response. "Axel, I've got to get to work," he whined, jabbing the older man in the ribs - a spot he vaguely recalled the red-head being ticklish in. Axel jerked awake with a snuffling sound that was absolutely _not_ adorable and blinked down at the man he currently had half-pinned to the mattress.

"Wha'dyou do that for?" he mumbled, a sleepy scowl on his face.

"I have to go to work," Roxas re-iterated. Axel's scowl deepened.

"You woke me up for that? Zexion already picked up the keys. He said he and Demyx would work today. He figured you'd need a day off." The werewolf yawned and settled back down to sleep. Roxas was half-way asleep, himself, before Axel's words sunk in. If Zexion had picked up the keys then there was no possible way that the other man didn't know what had happened last night. The blond flushed. "Y'know," Axel muttered, "I'd ask how far that blush goes but I already know." Roxas barely resisted the urge to shove his mate out of bed.

By the time Roxas woke the second time - sometime around eleven-thirty-ish - Axel was already awake and fixing their breakfast. The blond hobbled to the living room and lowered himself into his arm chair. By the time Axel appeared with two plates of steak and eggs, Roxas was dozing again but jerked awake as the red-head set the plates down on the coffee table.

"Morning," Roxas yawned, grabbing his plate and silverware before tucking his legs underneath him and digging into his breakfast. Axel shot him a grin before sprawling on the couch and tucking into his own breakfast. A comfortable silence settled over the two men, which didn't really surprise Roxas. It should, he supposes. After all, even if Axel's been living with him for _months_, they still barely know each other - not to mention the fact that they'd freaking slept together - but it's not awkward at all. It seems perfectly normal that both men are sitting in their boxers eating breakfast together. Roxas could only assume that it was because of the bond. His musings on the subject were cut short as a knock sounded at his door.

"Hey, Roxas!" Kairi greeted after the blond opened the door. "I just thought I'd come check on our four-legged friend." She held up her bag to emphasis her point.

"Uh…he's doing really well. And actually, now isn't a really good time," he stated, shifting so she could see Axel. Kairi's gaze turned from Axel back to the blond in front of her, her eyes raking down the man's body and taking in the bruises and hickeys. "Yeah," Roxas scratched the back of his head awkwardly as her face flushed with realization. "Anyway, I promise he's doing well and if anything happens, I'll call you, promise," he stated before all but slamming the door in her face. He leaned against the door and sighed. "I completely forgot she wanted to do a follow-up on you." Roxas told the red-head.

"We're going to have to tell her something or she'll just keep popping up around here," Axel stated as he popped a bit of steak into his mouth. Roxas groaned. He'd never outright lied to his friends about anything and he didn't relish the thought of doing so now. That, and he was a little miffed that Axel was so nonchalant about Kairi finding out about them when Roxas was ready to hide under a rock. He sat down and listlessly poked at his eggs. "Why don't you go out with your friends tonight?" Axel offered. "You haven't spent much time with them since I came back from dealing with the wendigo."

"Yeah, okay." Roxas agreed, jabbing a bite of steak and chewing it thoughtfully. "We should get in touch with someone and check out the old mansion," he said slowly. Axel blinked in shock before fixing his piercing eyes on the blond.

"Are you sure? Because I'll have to send Zexion or Demyx back to the main pack -"

"Axel, there's an inevitable werewolf war about to happen that you AND my _brother_ are involved in. As few deaths as possible would be greatly appreciated and if that means moving to some creepy mansion in a spooky forest so you can train werewolves…" he trailed off, shaking his head before giving the red-head a bemused smile. Axel stood and gave the blond a soft kiss.

"I'll send Zexion. He's better at things like this than Demyx is. And Demyx can help you at the book store. He's more personable than Zexion."

"I might just hire them - officially. If they're covering the shop, I can take care of the house renovations while you're training everyone." Roxas stated before stopping suddenly.

"Roxas?" Axel asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I didn't think it'd be this easy," he confessed. "Though I suppose I'll be ready to kill you soon enough once the stress of dealing with renovations and a house full of werewolves sets in." Axel tried really hard not to laugh. He failed.

* * *

Roxas sighed as he settled back into the booth, silently wishing that Axel had come with him. But the werewolf was off with his wolfy friends - haggling over the sales price of the old mansion and the adjoining land. Across the bar, Seifer and Hayner were in a heated argument over the pool table and Roxas was preparing to break up a fight when Seifer leaned over and kissed the younger man before pulling back and sinking another ball in a corner pocket. Hayner rolled his eyes but quit arguing.

"So, Roxas," Olette said softly, grabbing his attention. "Tell us more about this mysterious boyfriend of yours."

"Yeah," Pence agreed as he set their drinks down on the table. "I need to know who to sic Seifer and Hayner on. You look like you got mauled," he stated as he slipped into the booth next to his girlfriend. Roxas flushed and pulled the zipper of his jacket all the way up, though it did nothing to hide the hickeys ("Dammit Axel! How am I supposed to go out like this?" The werewolf had merely given the blond an unrepentant grin, the smug bastard).

"Well, I didn't exactly tell him to stop," Roxas stated, taking a sip of his beer and feeling a stab of twisted pleasure when Pence chocked on his own beer.

"So when do we get to meet him?" Olette asked eagerly. Roxas shrugged.

"Everything's kind of up in the air right now. He's taking care of some…family problems and we're getting ready to move…" he trailed off at Olette and Pence's shocked faces. "What?" he asked.

"You're _leaving_?" Olette asked, aghast.

"Noo. We're…we're fixing up the old mansion and some of his family is going to live with us." Okay, so he wasn't _exactly_ lying.

"Well, I hope after you get everything settled we'll see more of you," Pence stated. "We were beginning to worry that you were going all hermit-y on us, what with it being the time of year when Sora…" he cut off as Olette elbowed him in the ribs and Roxas had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

"No, Axel helped me get over that." That much was true. "I mean, I miss him, but…" he trailed off and shrugged. Roxas did miss Sora and made a mental note to call his brother. Sora'd be ecstatic to hear that he and Axel had gotten their shit together.

"Well if you need help with the house let me know," Pence stated. "My uncle owns a hardware store and I can get you good prices on materials."

"Thanks, Pence! That's awesome!" Roxas beamed at his friends.

"To moving forward!" Olette toasted as she raised her glass. Pence and Roxas raised their glasses as well and the three clinked their glasses together and drank. Later, as they all stumbled out of the bar high on life (and alcohol), they would completely miss the pair of glowing yellow eyes that followed them.

~Review~


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